Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2003 - 5:08 p.m.
Greetings,
I’ve got the Wednesday afternoon blues. Even though I’m over the hump, I’m still in this dump.
Okay, enough poetry for one day. It’s enough that it’s Wednesday. You shouldn’t have to puke while reading this entry too.
Today for my lunch hour I went outside and finished the last of my library books – which are due, incidentally, tomorrow. I still had half an hour left, so I browsed through Macy’s purse department looking for a suitable fall purse.
I find it difficult to type “purse” because I grew up in New England and we tend to call them “pocketbooks” there for some bizarre reason. None of the pocketbooks I ever carted around could fit in my pocket, although several of them were big enough to carry a book or two.
But I digress.
I’ve never liked carrying around huge purses, except for one brief moment in the 80s when those huge balloon bags were popular. The ones that looked like they were made out of sweatshirt material and had two fabric loop handles? Basically a smaller, smarter garbage bag. I had a purple one because I liked Prince. I think. I can’t imagine why else because it wasn’t black and everyone who knows me knows I buy almost every sort of accessory in black if I possibly can. Long after it’s pocketbook days were over, I used this bag to pack for weekend trips in. I told you it was big.
Even earlier in the 80s, I used to have one of those stuck up preppy purses where basically it was a round piece of white fabric sewn to two wooden loop handles. The white fabric had buttons on it and you could button on and off different covers for the same basic purse.
I had the requisite navy blue cover, then I had a pink one, and then a charming white one with lace trim. My mother tried desperately to make me into a prep. Satan knows I made a bad Catholic schoolgirl, but the navy blue button on cover went rather well with my blue and white plaid Catholic schoolgirl skirt.
The pink one went with my horrible “Am I wearing a school uniform because I could have sworn this dress came off of Flo from Mel’s Diner” pink dress.
The white one with lace went with my entire lovely collection of white blouses that interchanged with my boring old collection of blue, black and grey skirts. Although in spring I had this Kelly green button down skirt and I am ashamed to admit I would button the pink cover on when I wore that skirt. And I had pink shoes.
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
This is why my mother no longer buys me any clothes, people. Not only did she keep trying to get my hair shorn off to military length; she also wanted me dress in preppie colors like green and pink.
Since this entry is turning into purses/pocketbooks I used to know… here’s another blast from the past.
In the early 90s faux leopard and zebra skin was the thing to accessorize with. So I had this basic black (fake) leather purse with a flap made out of suede zebra skin that VELCRO’D shut.
With my punk rock spiked hair and my Madonna half shirt with tails, I really was a fashion statement.
At some point I began to buy two purses a year. A fall/winter/spring purse and a summer purse only carried between Memorial Day and Labor Day. One of the highlights of my year was switching out my winter purse to my summer purse just before I left for Maine Memorial Day Weekend.
Some summer purses I remember:
The pink denim one. (I used to take a break from black in the summer.) Pink went well with all my block summer clothes and with jeans as well. Oh, and it REALLY was stunning with my white pumps (worn without stockings) when I dressed up at night. I even had a pink denim skirt when I wanted to freak out my friends who thought I was born with a black “onesie” on.
My white weave-look square Liz Claiborne purse with the double handles. I actually liked that one a lot.
My fake Downey and Burke tan and brown big ass summer purse. This was a gift from; you guessed it, my mother.
This summer I’m carrying a black crocheted purse with hot pink lining and luridly colorful crocheted flowers on the front. Tres chic.
And I will ceremoniously switch purses this weekend so that Monday morning I will come (grumpily) to work clutching my new Tommy Hilfiger leather purse with the small loop handles augmented by a long clip on thin shoulder strap.
The Hilfiger logo is incredibly small and you have to have a microscope to find it, which is why I bought it. Usually in the winter, I’m a Nine West girl all the way. Summer’s usually belong to Liz Claiborne. (In fact, my crochet bag? A Liz original.)
I also bought the Hilfiger because it was on sale for $20. While on the smallish side it’s big enough for my wallet, sunglasses, checkbook and cell phone and frankly, I don’t want to lug around more than that in my purse
Besides, that’s what my backpack is for.
Until next time,
Olrun
